Patents by Inventor Monica Decastro

Monica Decastro has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8367143
    Abstract: Improved granola and granola products containing chocolate and their methods of preparation are provided. The methods include adding chilled chocolate containing dextrose to granola ingredients prior to the addition of a sugar binder formulated to perform as required at about 29-32° C. (85-90° F.) or colder. The methods include baking granola containing chocolate, cooling and packaging granola products such as breakfast cereals and granola bars. By using chilled chocolate and the sugar binder formulated for this method the problems of chocolate separation, smearing and off-flavors can be avoided in granola products containing chocolate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: General Mills, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory A. Clanton, Monica DeCastro
  • Patent number: 7959961
    Abstract: Disclosed are cooked dried farinaceous food products such as cooked cereal doughs, ready-to-eat cereals and grain based snacks fabricated from such cooked cereal doughs containing or fortified with rice bran oil supplied at least in part by non-hydrogenated rice bran oil especially high oryzanol rice bran oil. The cereals contain about 0.1 to 10% added rice bran oil. The rice bran oil ingredient can be incorporated into the dough and/or topically applied. The rice bran oil provides the processing advantages of oil addition during processing with low or now transfatty acids but with extended shelf stability. The finished fortified cereal products are not only organoleptically desirable but almost indistinguishable from their counterparts containing hydrogenated fats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: General Mills IP Holdings II, LLC
    Inventors: Xia Liu, Monica Decastro
  • Publication number: 20100183772
    Abstract: Improved granola and granola products containing chocolate and their methods of preparation are provided. The methods include adding chilled chocolate containing dextrose to granola ingredients prior to the addition of a sugar binder formulated to perform as required at about 29-32° C. (85-90° F.) or colder. The methods include baking granola containing chocolate, cooling and packaging granola products such as breakfast cereals and granola bars. By using chilled chocolate and the sugar binder formulated for this method the problems of chocolate separation, smearing and off-flavors can be avoided in granola products containing chocolate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Inventors: GREGORY A. CLANTON, Monica DeCastro
  • Publication number: 20060182869
    Abstract: Disclosed are cooked dried farinaceous food products such as cooked cereal doughs, ready-to-eat cereals and grain based snacks fabricated from such cooked cereal doughs containing or fortified with rice bran oil supplied at least in part by non-hydrogenated rice bran oil especially high oryzanol rice bran oil. The cereals contain about 0.1 to 10% added rice bran oil. The rice bran oil ingredient can be incorporated into the dough and/or topically applied. The rice bran oil provides the processing advantages of oil addition during processing with low or now transfatty acids but with extended shelf stability. The finished fortified cereal products are not only organoleptically desirable but almost indistinguishable from their counterparts containing hydrogenated fats.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2006
    Publication date: August 17, 2006
    Inventors: Xia Liu, Monica Decastro